Study: Arctic Could Be 'Ice-Free' in a Decade

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Facts

• Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have claimed that the Arctic Ocean could become ice-free — meaning less than 1M square kilometers (386.1K miles) — on a late August or early September day in the late 2020s or early 2030s.¹
• In comparison, the Arctic had a minimum September coverage of 3.3M square kilometers in recent years. An ice-free Arctic would also represent 20% less than the region's minimum ice cover in the 1980s.²
• Sea ice is important for both wildlife and regulating the Earth's temperatures. While it's been declining for years, the study shows its ice-free stage will come far earlier than previously thought.³
• Leader author of the study, Associate Prof. Alexandra Jahn, said sea ice also helps mitigate the effects of ocean waves on Arctic coastal lands, with less sea ice leading to bigger waves eroding shorelines.⁴
• The study argues that depending on the world's future carbon emissions, the ice-free season could eventually last from August to October or as long as nine months.³
• Alongside atmospherical effects, the melting Arctic, which is heating four times faster than the rest of the Earth, is leading to geopolitical tensions between countries like Russia, the US, and Norway, which have increased their military presence in the region.¹

Sources: ¹Forbes, ²CU Boulder Today, ³USA Today and ⁴Phys.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. Unfortunately, this is not the first study to predict an ice-free Arctic. Researchers have warned about this possibility for years, and now that it's on the horizon, the world has warmed too quickly to completely stop it. As the ice melts, allowing the Sun to warm more ocean water, climate change-induced extreme weather patterns are likely to worsen — this is why we must continue to work towards lowering carbon emissions as well as adapt to the incoming effects of mass ice melting.
• Right narrative, as provided by FOX News. The issue with climate alarmists isn't that they're completely inaccurate but rather that for decades, their predictions have been way overblown — such as the claim that New York City would be underwater from melting ice by 2014. The unfortunate reality is that these climate activists, rather than sticking to the facts at hand and looking for realistic policy solutions — such as how to navigate the potential benefits of less ice in the Arctic — have decided to inundate the public with fear.

Predictions